As many of you know, Robert Parker is retiring from his traditional role at the Wine Advocate as primary reviewer and wine critic, and his place will be taken by one of his protégés, Antonio Galloni. But, as we look back on Carver Sutro's 14 vintages, we feel well appreciated by Mr. Parker who has consistently given us wonderful reviews. In our last meeting with him, we offered him our 2007 Carver Sutro Palisades Vineyard Petite Sirah, as well as a mini-vertical of our '01, '02 and '04 vintages. Following are his comments:

"Carver Sutro 2007 Petite Sirah: This small operation is dedicated to Petite Sirah from Palisades Vineyard in the eastern foothills of Calistoga. The wines are aged in 100% French oak and bottled without fining or filtration... The compelling 2007 Petite Sirah exhibits thick looking, opaque purple color along with sumptuous perfume of lead pencil shavings, blueberry pie, blackberry, cassis, violets and burning embers. A wine of extraordinary intensity and sweet tannins, this over-the-top, dense, phenomenal wine will be a youngster at age 20 and will still be alive at 35+. As a postscript, I tasted three older vintages, the 2004, 2002 and 2001, and all three will overload your senses. They are all fabulous wines that are evolving at a glacial pace. To reiterate, Petite Sirah is California's most underrated and long lived varietal."

Score: 95pts

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